[Developer Story] Delving Deeper into the Globally Loved "Ikigai Chart": How the "IKIGAI Framework" Was Born to Help You Find Your Current Place
"What does your current job mean to you?"
When we are overwhelmed by our daily tasks, we often lose the bandwidth to reflect on our careers and our lives. Throughout my 20-year career in marketing, I have constantly asked myself, "What is my true Ikigai (purpose in life)?" and "How can I achieve it?"
Amidst this searching, I came across the "Ikigai Chart," a brilliant diagrammatic model widely recognized in Europe and around the world.
In this article, I would like to share the story behind the development of the "IKIGAI Framework," which was inspired by this very chart. I hope this tool can serve as a compass for those feeling lost in their careers.
Shedding Light on the Blank Spaces of the Brilliant "Ikigai Chart"
The "Ikigai Chart" defines satisfaction in life and work as the intersection of the following four elements:
1. GREAT AT (What you are great at) 2. LOVE (What you love) 3. NEED (What the world needs) 4. PAID FOR (What you can be paid for)
The model is highly intuitive and persuasive, proposing that the center point where all four elements perfectly overlap is your ultimate "Ikigai".
However, when I analyzed this chart, I felt it left something to be desired.
If each of the four elements (GREAT AT, LOVE, NEED, PAID FOR) can be answered with a simple "Yes" (fulfilled) or "No" (unfulfilled), mathematically, there are "2 to the 4th power," or 16 possible combinations. Because the traditional Ikigai Chart is a simple diagram using overlapping circles, it cannot visually represent all 16 of these combinations.
Only specific areas, such as the central "Ikigai" or intersections like "Passion" and "Mission," are clearly defined. Consequently, if your current situation falls into a blank space not depicted on the chart, self-analysis becomes difficult.
"I want to make this wonderful concept relatable to everyone. Could I define all 16 combinations both visually and with unique terms?"
This was the motive behind developing the "IKIGAI Framework" tool. It is an attempt to accurately map out every possible state so that more people can precisely pinpoint where they currently stand.
Where Are You Now? Self-Analysis Through 16 Patterns
To visually represent all 16 combinations, I designed a new Venn diagram using four ellipses as the key visual. I then provided each state with a "Unique Name," a "Definition," and "Specific Examples".
This tool was designed with the primary goal of allowing anyone to perform self-analysis easily and intuitively.
When you open the site, you are presented with four extremely simple questions, such as "Do you feel that your current job is something you are 'great at'?". Simply selecting "Yes" or "No" to these questions completes the diagnosis.
The diagnosis results cover a wide array of modern working styles and psychological states. For example, there is the state of "Passion," where you pour in your talent and love but receive no income, or the state of "Paid For," where you merely trade your time for money.
Furthermore, I have clearly defined states that might look like success on the surface but leave you unfulfilled inside—such as being "Great At," "Loving" it, and getting "Paid For" it, but lacking "Need" (social significance), or having "Need" and getting "Paid For" it, but not being "Great At" it or "Loving" it.
To discover which state you are closest to right now, and to read specific advice and examples for each, please see the detailed explanations of the 16 patterns from the link below.
Conclusion
The "IKIGAI Framework" is an objective tool to help you understand what your current job means to you and what you might be missing in order to achieve true Ikigai.
Currently, this tool is available in Japanese and English, but with the desire to have people all over the world use it, we are developing it with further multilingual expansion in mind.
The word "Ikigai" might sound a bit grand. There are certainly not many people who find themselves perfectly in the center where all conditions are met. However, whether you are currently driven solely by "Passion" or viewing your work strictly as a "Vocation," knowing your current position will surely provide you with hints on taking your next step.
If you are currently feeling even the slightest bit of doubt about your daily work, I highly encourage you to give this framework a try. I would be incredibly happy if these four simple questions could serve as a small catalyst for you to re-evaluate your career.
Now, let the journey to discover your current place begin.